'Alcoholic', 34, was found dead by girlfriend on New Year's Eve

'Alcoholic' Simon McIntyre was found dead by his girlfriend the morning after a night out.

The 34-year-old , who suffered from anxiety and depression, had gone back to his Bentilee home with partner Emily Ainsworth following an evening in the pub.

She went to bed, leaving him in the lounge drinking more alcohol. The following day, she discovered he had died.

An inquest into Mr McIntyre's death heard he died as a result of alcohol combined with prescription drugs he had been taking.

The North Staffordshire Coroner's Court hearing was told Mr McIntyre and Miss Ainsworth had been to The Ashbank pub on December 30 last year.

Mr McIntyre, who had never worked, drank a number of double vodkas, along with lager and a cocktail jug, before they returned home to Brackenfield Drive at around 10pm.

On the way back, they called at an off-licence where Mr McInytre bought a three-litre bottle of cider. In a statement, Miss Ainsworth said they had been chatting normally when she decided to go to bed at midnight and left him in the lounge.

She told how she got up at 5am to get a drink and briefly spoke to Mr McIntyre. She gave him a hug and a kiss and went back to bed.

At midday, a friend, Andrew Grattan, called at the property and Miss Ainsworth got up. They then found Mr McIntyre slumped against a wall in the lounge. The inquest heard Miss Ainsworth said she 'knew straight away he had passed away'.

Paramedics were called, but Mr McIntyre could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene. Empty packets of his two types of prescribed medication were found nearby.

Tests revealed he had taken he medication, but it was only present at therapeutic levels. By the time the tests took place - two days after he had died - his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit for driving. It is not known how high it was at the time of his death.

North Staffordshire deputy coroner Anthony Curzon concluded that Mr McInytre's death was drug and alcohol-related. He said: "Having spent time socialising and drinking to excess, the deceased returned home with his partner. She went to bed and left him in the lounge, where he consumed more alcohol.

"At midday, he was found on the settee. He was unresponsive. There were a number of prescription drug packets on the chair next to him, but these had only been taken at therapeutic levels."

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